Kukla's Korner Hockey

It may seem a contradiction, but Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward had an uneasy, productive summer.

For Ward, the uneasiness came in persistent speculation he might be traded. Asked this week if he believed he might have played his last game for the Canes, Ward said, “I think I’d be lying if I said no. I didn’t know what was going to happen.”

The trade rumors spiked around the NHL draft and then the start of free agency, but there was no move. The tension subsided, Ward said, when general manager Ron Francis called to say Ward and Anton Khudobin would be the Canes’ two goaltenders this season.

“It was an important summer in my career,” Ward said. “These last couple of years haven’t gone the way I expected of myself. I feel like that’s behind me and you move forward. I’ve done everything I can to prepare myself to play with confidence.”

Ward, 30, said he intensified his physical conditioning, looking to add more muscle. He changed his diet, looking to improve his nutrition.